Jumbo - QuickStep merger

[Red Rick]

What an incredibly weird story. This might go down as one of those things where in 5 years we all laugh about how JV and SQS almost merged teams that one time. Just a strange little anecdote that never led to the earthquake everyone was anticipating.

It's basically a great Giro parcours but the GC battle is Thomas vs Evenepoel vs Roglic

 

[Potomac]

60 pages and it isn't even going to happen.

Everyone should be pissed that it isn't after all the efforts put into this thread and only to find them completely wasted.

 

[Red Rick]

60 pages and it isn't even going to happen.

Everyone should be pissed that it isn't after all the efforts put into this thread and only to find them completely wasted.

This is nothing compared to the 2011 Tour de Suisse threads.

 

[RedheadDane]

anyone knows any big Danish canned fish company willing to step in?

Glyngøre?
Though, they might be more interested in sponsoring the team of the rather famous person from the town of Glyngøre.

If we all chipped in, would be able to become title sponsor of the team?

"Team Cycling News Forum"?

It would not sell enough Lego to justify the investment, no.

You underrestimate how much Lego I might buy if there was official cycling-related Lego! I am an adult!

Though, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I would actually prefer something that isn't associated with one particular team.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

"Team Cycling News Forum"?

Or Petulant Whiners United. Whichever name we'd agree on.

 

[Rackham]

60 pages and it isn't even going to happen.

Everyone should be pissed that it isn't after all the efforts put into this thread and only to find them completely wasted.

Wait until Team Jumbo Visma announce their own liquidation, aka bankruptcy due to lack of adequate funding & sponsorship money. Sh*t will hit the fan again real fast.

I'm just kidding about Jumbo going under, although...

 

[noob]

So far the winner of the biggest-merger-ever is Roglic

Now I get it *troll face*

 

[proffate]

60 pages and it isn't even going to happen.

Everyone should be pissed that it isn't after all the efforts put into this thread and only to find them completely wasted.

Because our efforts on all the rest of the forum have had such amazing utility

 

[Boehmand]

Not true. Bohra confirmed today that the merger story was the reason why Roglic came to Bohra. They heard the news of the possible merger during the Vuelta (yes, quite long before the press). Subsequently they noticed that Roglic was "pissed" during the last week of the Vuelta. So, 1 and 1 give two. They contacted Roglic (not the inverse) and started negociations.

He didn't leave for Bora, he left and then proceded to find a team, which happened to be Bora.

The decision to leave was made months ago and had nothing to do with the merger talks, but rather the need to be on a team he could captain at the Tour.

 

[noob]

Watching this from the sidelines as a journalist I don't believe in conspiracies but I believe all the huge amounts of rumors who has surrounded this affair hasn't grown without intent by someone, or probably many people.

For one thing for example Lefevere looks much better in many eyes now.

 

[saunaking]

Surely it should be PON ponying up more money???

What for?? Their names are already on the bike! Waste of money.
I thought Jumbo was always onboard anyway thru 2024

Whoever called it a Rabo fail is OOOHHH so right

 

[Berniece]

The decision to leave was made months ago and had nothing to do with the merger talks, but rather the need to be on a team he could captain at the Tour.

I understood that this decision was made during the Vuelta. Dat Plugge was extremely pissed at Nierman due to this decision, because Roglic was not happy at the Vuelta

 

[IndurainsTdF1994]

60 pages and it isn't even going to happen.

Everyone should be pissed that it isn't after all the efforts put into this thread and only to find them completely wasted.

Or were they? You underestimate how many directors, managers etc read this forum for our strategic savvy and profound insights. It’s not just podcasters and Kirby.

 

[fmk_RoI]

For one thing for example Lefevere looks much better in many eyes now.

How, by riding in on his white charger to offer to rescue the remnants as the flames engulfed them?

What this actually suggests is that Lefevere was in the back seat and had no control over what was happening: Bakala was in the driving seat.

Now, he's got a lead investor looking for the exit and a team destabilised by a fortnight of rumours which had the remnants being thrown on the scrap heap. For the 2024 and 2025 seasons Soudal-Quick-Step is on Death Watch and no amount of showboating or posturing is going to make Lefevere look like the hero of the piece.

 

[fmk_RoI]

It’s not just podcasters and Kirby.

Kirby can read? Wow.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Surely it should be PON ponying up more money???

What for??

Cause puns are funny.

 

[Rob5091]

You underrestimate how much Lego I might buy if there was official cycling-related Lego! I am an adult!

Though, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I would actually prefer something that isn't associated with one particular team.

I actually worked for a company that was part owned by the Lego heirs at Kirk Kapital ... never met them, but assume it's run by a bunch of lawyers/accountants looking for the biggest possible returns for their clients (the Lego heirs) money. The company I worked for went belly up so they're obviously not so smart!

 

[Panda Claws]

Van Wilder did it

 

[saunaking]

Cause puns are funny.

Like seriously, why in *** would they decide to throw in another $10M or more???
They already have their name on the bike
They already have their logo on the jersey in a relatively prominent spot.
They can already have all their VIPs in the team cars

 

[will-10]

close the thread, cycling is saved

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/so...er-cancelled-amid-take-over-anger-and-dismay/
"Clarity may only come after October 19, when 2024 team registration is confirmed by the UCI."

Me? I'm waiting for the 19th of October when the Fat Lady finally gets to sing (I don't suppose the UCI has ever beeen compared to a fat lady before but ... what the heck!).

 

[saunaking]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/so...er-cancelled-amid-take-over-anger-and-dismay/
"Clarity may only come after October 19, when 2024 team registration is confirmed by the UCI."

Me? I'm waiting for the 19th of October when the Fat Lady finally gets to sing (I don't suppose the UCI has ever beeen compared to a fat lady before but ... what the heck!).

what is going to happen on the 19th?
Jumbo and Soudal will still have a licence

 

[fmk_RoI]

The rumours that were more fantasy than reality.

Neom

June:

The Jumbo-Visma team could be sponsored by the huge Saudi Arabian Neom development project, with team manager Richard Plugge describing a report by WielerFlits as ‘interesting’ while denying that he has any direct contact with people from Neom.

Three months later:

The team was linked to Saudi Arabian Neom development project, however, Plugge denied that he had any direct contact with people from Neom and the reports have subsequently described as 'fake news' by one well-informmed source to Cyclingnews.

Bakala's Selling Out

Soudal-QuickStep team manager Patrick Lefevere has denied suggestions that his Soudal-QuickStep team has been sold to an American investor for $16.5 million, insisting he is ready to complete his ‘Project Remco’ five-year plan, fight off offers from major rival teams and so help Remco Evenepoel try to win the Tour de France.

What other TJV/SOQ stories ended up being so divorced from reality they ought to have been paying alimony? It's been such a long summer it's hard to keep track of them all.

 

[fmk_RoI]

I'm waiting for the 19th of October when the Fat Lady finally gets to sing

December whateverth is the actual deadline, and even that has proved soft in the past with CAS appeals taking it into the following year. October 19 is just a chapter heading.

As Evenepoel pointedly noted the other day, the transfer window remains open til the year end.

 

[pman]

I am not a fan of everything Patrick Lafevere has said in his career but he has managed to come out of this looking better than his Jumbo colleague. Patrick says maybe he'll keep a B Team Quickstep and then a day or two later, the merger is off. Whether it's fair or not, Patrick is the only person of power in this thing that publicly cast some doubt on this thing before it fell apart.